


Happy Relationships

by CranscottHasRuinedMe



Category: tsubaki-chou lonely planet
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2019-12-25 16:10:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18264809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CranscottHasRuinedMe/pseuds/CranscottHasRuinedMe
Summary: Gorou hadn't thought about love or being in a relationship after being rejected by Fumi. And then he met you.|Gorou Kaneishi x Reader|





	1. I

You looked at the house in front of you before looking down at the piece of paper in your hand, confirming you were in the right place; Tsubaki-Chou. You walked towards the house, standing inches away from the door. You brought your hand up and knocked before waiting for a response. It took about a minute before the door opened, behind it stood a rather tall man with black hair that almost reached his shoulders. He had a stoic look as he peered down at you, slightly intimating you and made you want to shrink back. Nonetheless, you stood your ground and stated your purpose for being there.

“Is Ohno Fumi here?” You asked softly. 

“Kid? Yeah, she’s here,” He said before turning around and heading back in. 

You weren’t sure if you could come in or not, since he didn’t say anything. Regardless, you took a step inside and shut the door, the warmth inside felt better than the chilly spring air. You had on a light jacket, enough to keep you warm but not make you hot. 

You waited patiently for the man to return, if memory serves you right, his name is Kibikino Akatsuki. This is the man that is housing your sister while she worked as his housekeeper. And she was doing this to help pay off your father’s debt, which they both failed to mention. Imagine your surprise when you come home from university only to find that your family wasn’t living in that apartment anymore. You called up your father and he told you everything, how he was six million yen in debt and he and your sister were paying it off. Neither of them mentioned this to you because Fumi didn't want to tear you away from your studies. 

You’re a twenty-year-old who just finished her second year of college. You were also working part time and had the means to help pay. You understood her reasoning but this should be the responsibility of you and your father, not your kid sister. Her only worries should be about schools and studying, not about some debt. The sound of your name broke you out of your train of thought, your sister stood right in front of you. Your face lit up as you pulled her into a tight hug before pulling away and pinching her cheek. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” You asked sternly. 

She rubbed your cheek and gave you a sheepish smile. “I didn’t want to trouble you. Your sole focus should be on your studies.”

“I study plenty, and I make more than enough to get by and help pay off Oto-San's debt. My kid sister shouldn’t have to worry about that,” You scolded.

“I know, I just thought it’d be better,” Fumi answered, hanging her head a little in shame.

“I know you’re just looking out for me, but I should be able to look out for you too,” You said softly, bringing her into another hug. “At least now, we can pay off this debt faster.”

That seemed to cheer her up, she was back to her cheerful smiling self, making you giggle at how cute she is.

“Kid, who’s this?” A gruff deep voice said, coming from behind her.

“Oh, sensei, this is my older sister {Name},” Fumi introduced, moving out of the way so you and Kibikino could properly meet.

“Hello, nice to meet you,” You said, bowing respectively to the man who had answered the door earlier.

“{Name}? Isn’t that a grandma's name?” He uttered bluntly.

“Sensei!” Fumi squealed, embarrassed by his statement. 

“Eh? No, it’s not! Apologize to all the {Name}s out there!” You yelled, blushing out of shock. 

“Wow, you really are her sister,” He mumbled. 

“Oh, would you like some tea?” Your sister asked, diverting your attention away from what he said. 

“Sure, if you don’t mind. We can catch up,” You said, smiling brightly. You remembered about the bag you were holding, it had some fresh made sakura manju. "Oh, here, I brought these for you, sakura manju."

She took the bag from you, an excited look on her face, she always loved the treats you brought her. "Nee-San, you shouldn't have!"

You smiled widely and ruffled her hair gently. "I hope you like them."

"I love them already! Sensei, look," She exclaimed, showing the bag to Kibikino with that dopey look of hers, making you laugh lightly.

You took off your shoes and Fumi went for your jacket, hanging it up and placing it in the closet by the door. She then led you to the living area where a kotatsu sat in the middle. She told you to sit before running off to the kitchen, doing so because she knew you’d want to help. It’s not that she didn’t want your help, but rather she wanted you to relax, especially after everything you've endured. You sighed softly and sat down, letting the heat of the kotatsu warm you up. Kibikino-Sensei sat across from you, a blank look on his face as he stared at you. 

“So, you’re a writer? You asked, trying to make conversation. 

“Yes,” He answered blankly. 

“What do you write about?” You asked again. 

“Historical fiction,” He replied, stoic once again. 

“Historical fiction? You don’t see many young authors who write historical fiction. I don’t usually read historical fiction, what’re some of your books, I’d definitely like to check them out,” You said. 

Fumi came back with a tray of tea and some of the manju on a plate, a cheerful smile on her face. You smiled at how goofy she looked and you knew that she wouldn't be able to resist eating them right away. You got up to help her out but she ushered you to stay seated, but when you didn’t, she easily maneuvered over you. She set the tray down, smiling widely as she looked at your blank displeased face. You sighed softly before sitting back down, taking the cup of tea Fumi handed you. You blew on it gently to cool it down before taking a sip, relishing in the flavor. It was chamomile tea, you’re absolute favorite. You smiled gently and stared down at the cup, staring at the light brown liquid, the taste bringing back memories. Your mother always made you chamomile: when you weren’t feeling well, when you needed something warm, or when you just needed cheering up. 

“Nee-San, how’s school?” You heard you sister ask, snapping you out of your daze. 

“School is going great; my scholarship was renewed for next year and my grades are still outstanding. I’m thinking about getting an apartment instead of living on campus,” You told her. “How about you? You’re gonna be a third year now, are you ready?” 

“I’m nervous but I know I can do it! Are you gonna live with Ayato?” She asked. 

You felt your heart skip a beat out of fear at the question but you gave her a smile and answered with ease. "No, not yet. I thought about rooming with Rina or Nana. Have you looked into any universities?"

“Uh well,” She started, glancing over at Kibikino before looking at you. Was there something going on between them? “A couple, yes.” 

“That’s good, Fumi-Chan. How’s Yoh?” You asked, changing the topic, it was clear this wasn't something she wanted to discuss so openly yet. 

“She’s good! She misses you, she asked if you were coming back but I completely forgot,” Fumi replied. “Nee-San, where are you staying, since you can’t stay at our old apartment anymore.” 

She looked guilty for a second, biting her lip because she felt bad that you had come back without a home. You smiled gently and reached over for her hand, holding it gently. “I’m staying with Ayato-Kun, so don’t worry about me okay.” 

She blushed lightly and nodded, Ayato was your current boyfriend, or so she believed. He was a good person, the two of you started dating your second year of high school. And you went to the same university, but it wasn’t until recently that the two of you broke up. You had decided that it was better to just be friends, so it was a mutual break up. You loved each other, yes, but it wasn't a romantic love anymore, that had faded away as the two of you grew and learned more about yourselves. You hadn’t told anyone yet though, everyone had been rooting for the two of you so you felt guilty that you let this relationship end so soon. And then he came to your aid, you felt even more guilty to tell his parents the two of you weren’t together anymore. Even though he reassured you that they’d understand, it didn’t lessen the guilt. You wanted to make sure that when you told people, there'd be no hard feelings on either side.

“You can stay here, if you want!” She said. 

You looked from her to Kibikino who wore a deadpan look on his face, he didn't look to happy with that idea. “N-No, it’s okay, I don’t want to intrude. Besides, I won’t be staying long, school starts again in a month.” 

“It’s no trouble at all, right Sensei, you’re my sister,” Fumi said excitedly, already deciding. 

“Wait, I didn’t agree to this,” Kibikino-Sensei grumbled, an irked expression displaying across his face. 

“I’ll think about, maybe I could sleepover or something,” You said, not wanting to displease Kibikino but not wanting to reject your sister either. 

Before Fumi could say anything more, there was a knock on the door. “Oh, I’ll get that!” She loudly said before getting up and practically running to the door. 

You were left alone with Kibikino-Sensei once again, an awkward atmosphere quickly arising. Luckily, the two of you weren’t left alone for long, Fumi came back with a man following behind. You turned around to see who had come to visit, your eyes meeting those of a man curiously looking back at you. You felt your cheeks heat up at sheer nervousness and also from the fact that he was cute. He had fluffy light-ish brown hair and pretty brown eyes to match. You couldn’t help but stare, almost forgetting that you were in the presence of others. 

“I’m sorry, am I interrupting something?” A new, silky smooth voice asked. 

“Not at all, Kaneishi-San," Fumi said, noticing that he was staring at you, probably wondering who you were. "This is my older sister, {Name}."

You snapped out of your daze and bowed your head respectively. “N-Nice to meet you.” 

“Wow Fumi-Chan, I didn’t know you had a sister. She looks just like you and she's cute too,” He said, smiling widely. 

You blushed deeply at his comment, amazed that he could say something like that so easily. You took this as your cue to leave, he must've been here for something important and you didn't want to intrude. “I-I should get going. I’ll check up on you later, okay Fumi?” 

“Eh? But you just got here, Nee-San,” Fumi said. 

“But I don’t want to overstay my welcome, and I’m sure that you’re busy now,” You told her. 

“I’m just here for Akastuki, please don’t let me intrude on your visit,” Gorou spoke up, his eyes never leaving your form. 

“We can move to another room or when can go out,” Your sister suggested. 

“Okay, yeah, we can do that. It'd be nice to spend some time together like we used to,” You agreed. 

“Sensei, if you don’t mind, I’ll be going out,” Fumi said, turning to look at Kibikino. 

“Sure, be safe,” He told her, giving a quick nod of his head. 

Fumi smiled widely and nodded her head, she said a quick goodbye to Gorou before walking off. You gave the two older men a small bow and a goodbye before following your sister. She handed you your jacket before getting herself one, then you put on your shoes and left the house. 

“So, where do you wanna go, Fumi?” You asked as the two of you walked. 

“Anywhere, you pick!” She said, giving you that goofy smile you loved. 

“Okay, let's go browse the shops for a bit,” You suggested. 

“Yeah, sounds fun!” She replied. 

You nodded and the two of you started walking to the nearest shops, both of you drifting off into your own thoughts. Your mind wondered back to Kibikino Akatsuki and your sister, what kind of relationship did they have? 

“Hey, Fumi. What’s your relationship to Kibikino-Sensei?” You asked, looking over at your sister. 

Her face immediately turned red, which confirmed your suspicions that they were something more. She fumbled over her words as she tried to find the right thing to say. You laughed lightly and placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair gently. “Don’t worry kiddo, you don’t have to answer yet.” 

“N-No, it’s okay, you’re my sister and you deserve to know. Sensei is my....boyfriend!” She said boyfriend a little too loud but that was just her nerves talking. 

“That’s what I thought,” You said. “You have to be careful, you know. I’m sure Kibikino is a nice person but he’s way older than you...don’t let him take advantage... and if he hurts you, you run straight to me, got it?” 

“Yes, but sensei isn’t like that! He’s nice and caring, he’d never do anything I wouldn’t want,” She told you. 

“Okay, I trust you so I’ll trust him,” You reassured her. 

You changed the subject after that, instead dragging her into every store that you came across. Right now, you just wanted to have fun with your sister.


	2. II

You walked along side Fumi, heading back to Akatsuki's place, both of you carrying a few bags. Since your sister was so focused on paying back your father's debt, she probably didn't shop much for herself, so you decided to treat her. It took a lot of convincing on your part because she didn't want you to spend your hard earned money. You kept insisting and eventually she gave in, letting you buy her a few new outfits. What got her was when you said how she could pick some clothes out for her next dates with Kibikino. That got her really excited, even more so that you were showing your support of their relationship.

You chatted as you walked, about anything and everything. It was easy to do that with your sister; you never ran out of topics when you were with her. She shared a few details of how she and Kibikino got together and how their relationship was going. It was a cute story and you liked how he respected your sister; it did bring some ease to your worry about the 12-year difference between them. But she reassured you that it was okay and that he wasn't doing anything she didn't like. Actually, she told you that their relationship didn't change much from before they were together except now they went out together as a couple. And that alone was enough to make her happy, you thought it was cute how innocent their relationship was. The more she told you about it, the more you saw that his attentions were good and that he wasn't going to hurt Fumi.

You told her about college-life and how everything was going with Ayato, minus the break-up. She payed close attention, wanting to take in your experiences and put them into her own relationship. It made you laugh a little, although you two were broken up now, Ayato always treated you like a queen. He’d take you on all different types of dates and buy you all sorts of things. Even after you told him he didn’t have to go out of his way, he continued to do it. But you balanced it out by putting the same amount of effort because you wanted to treat him too. Even now, he was kind and caring towards you, an overall good guy who put others before himself. 

“Make your own experiences, kiddo, don’t base them off others,” You told her. 

“I know, but your relationship is just so perfect,” She said. 

“We have our moments too, we always managed to sort it out but I wouldn't say we're perfect. Every relationship is different, that's why I saw make your own experiences,” You replied. 

She nodded, heeding your words carefully; you felt a little guilty that you hadn’t told her yet about your break-up. But you didn’t want to ruin her ideology of relationships, especially since she just got into one herself. You knew you’d have to eventually, but right now wasn’t the right time. Fumi never really thought about this sort of thing, so even though you were telling her not to base her relationship around yours, you still wanted to give her an example of how she should be treated. As an equal, a partner, neither one above the other.

It wasn’t long before you got back to the house she was staying at for the time being. You’d been out for hours and it was getting late now, you needed to get back to your own place before Ayato started to get worried. So, you walked her all the way to the door and then told her you needed to take your leave. She nodded, not wanting to keep you later than you could. She gave you a goodbye hug before going to open the front door. Just as she was going in, Akatsuki was seeing Gorou to the door, having finished their meeting. 

“Kaneishi-San, are you heading out?” Fumi asked. 

“I am, we just finished up everything we needed to do,” He told her. He then turned his gaze to you. “Are you heading out too?”

“Ah, yes, my b-there's someone waiting for me,” You told him, hoping no one caught onto your change, you couldn't call him your boyfriend but you could say friend either. Well, you could have easily said the word boyfriend, but you didn't want to say it in front of Gorou.

He had, but didn’t press it, it was probably a sensitive topic you didn’t want to talk about. “Say hi to Ayato for me, Nee-San.” Fumi said. 

“I will,” You told her. “I’ll get going now.” 

“I’ll walk with you, until we part ways,” Gorou said. 

“Su-Sure, if it's no trouble for you,” You replied, showing him your gentle smile that made his heart skip a beat for some reason.

He smiled back at you, one that made a nervous feeling in your stomach build up. He said goodbye to Fumi before the two of you started walking home together. The first few minutes of walking was spent in silence; you didn’t know how to start up a conversation or if you should start one. Lucky for you, he spoke up first so that you wouldn’t have to. 

“You go to school?” He asked, a few seconds later realizing that was a dumb question. Of course you went to school, he should have thought of something better. 

“I do, I go to Tokyo University,” You told him with ease. 

“Oh, I went there. What’re you studying?” 

“Child psychology, I’m hoping to work as a school psychologist.” 

“Oh wow, that’s some serious work.” 

“It is, but I’m looking forward to it. You work with Kibikino-Sensei?” 

“I do work with him, I’m his editor but we’ve been friends since we were kids.” 

“That’s a long time to be friends,” You commented, amazed by their long friendship. You’d hope your friendships would last forever like that. 

Gorou looked over at you and a smile stretched his lip at how you looked to be in deep thought. Was it really that shocking to know that the two of them had been friends for that long? “It is a long time.” He merely replied. 

“S-Sorry, that sounded rude didn’t it? The only person I’ve known since I was a kid is Fumi. I hope my friendships last that long,” You told him. 

“Fumi-Chan never said anything about having a sister,” He said, changing the subject. 

“Ah, well, I’ve been away for quite some time due to my studies and I haven't been able to come home until now. Had I known about dad's debt, I would've come back sooner,” You told him. “I probably sound like a terrible sister, don’t I? Leaving her to fend for herself like that.” 

“Ah, no! It was just a surprise,” He quickly responded, not wanting to give you the wrong idea. 

“Oh, okay,” You said. 

Silence came once again; you didn’t know what to say after that or if you should say anything. The street that you had to take to get to Ayato’s home was coming up. You’d have to part ways soon so maybe it didn’t matter if you kept conversing. But you wanted to keep hearing his voice, it made you feel calm for some reason, it was energetic and friendly. You reached the street where Ayato’s home was on, stopping at the corner. 

“Ah, this is me,” You told Gorou. 

“Oh... Can I walk you the rest of the way?” He asked. 

“Th-That’s sweet but I don’t want to trouble you like that!” You quickly replied. 

“It’s no trouble, I’d just like to make sure you get home safe,” He gave you a kind smile that made your stomach churn and heart speed up, you were afraid that he'd hear how fast it was beating. 

You could only nod and allow him to walk you the rest of the way. You kept your head down, staring down at your moving feet. Suddenly, you were aware of every little thing, how close he stood next to you. The warmth that radiated off him, how his steps matched yours, at one point you swore you felt your hand brush against his. That one could've been just your imagination but you were noticing every little thing around you two. You weren't sure, you didn't really know Gorou so you weren't sure why he was making you feel this way. He was cute, and he was kind enough to walk you home, he seemed to care about your sister, so all those things seemed to strike a cord. You wanted to get to know him more, and to know why he was making you feel this way even though you only just met.

“Th-this is my place,” You spoke up once you reached Ayato’s home. 

“Okay, have a good night {Name},” He said. 

Even the way he said your name made your heart thump wildly, even more so since he didn’t use any honorifics. “Y-Yes, you too Kaneishi-San.” 

He gave you another smile to show his appreciation and a wave goodbye. You gave a quick wave back before running inside, he watched you until you slipped through the door. Then he headed back the way you to came from, if he was being honest, he lived the opposite way of you. But he wanted to make sure you got home alright, and he wanted to spend some time with you. From the moment he saw you, you were the only thing on his mind, it made it quite difficult to concentrate on his work. There was something about you that was pulling at his heartstrings for some odd reason. It didn't help that you were really cute, cuter than most of the girls he's met.

The door closed behind you gently but it was enough to alert the others of your presence. Ayato came to the entrance to greet you, a welcoming smile on his face as he leaned against the wall. “Welcome home.” He said. 

“Ah, Ayato, thank you,” You smiled brightly at him. 

“Are you hungry? Mom just finished making dinner,” He said. 

“Ye, let me just take off my shoes and put away my jacket,” You told him. 

He nodded and patiently waited for you to do that before the two of you started walking together to his dining room. His parents were about done setting up the table as you got there. You took a seat next to Ayato, the four of you said a little prayer before beginning to eat. 

“How was Fumi?” Ayato asked you. 

“She's good, she misses you. You should come with me next time,” You told him. 

“Sure, I miss her too,” He gave you another one of his smiles and you matched it with one of your own. 

This was nice, even though you were broken up, nothing changed between the two of you. He was still your best friend and you could still smile and talk to him with ease. His parents couldn’t help but smile at the scene between the two of you, they were glad the two of you were a couple. Or so they thought you were. 

After dinner, you and Ayato stayed in the living room while his parents went to get ready for bed. You sat on the couch, some distance away from each other, watching TV. There was an enjoyable silence between the two of you, and neither of you felt the need to have to break it. 

“Oh, Rina-Chan texted me. She wanted to know if we wanted to join them in karaoke tomorrow,” He spoke up. 

“Sure, that sounds great,” You told him. 

He smiled and nodded before taking out his phone to text her back. Meanwhile you turned your attention back to the TV, you brought your knees up to your chest and laid your head on them, feeling content. For a while at least, and then your mind drifted off to Gorou and that beautiful smile of his. His soft looking light brown hair and shining light brown eyes. To be honest, you’d only gotten a few glimpses at his face but every detail stuck with you. Like you noticed how his eyes crinkled just a bit when he smiled, that beauty mark right below his left eye. He was nice and sweet, or at least he was towards you. You couldn’t help but let your mind wonder off to him, and you really weren’t stopping yourself.

“{Name}? Are you listening?” A voice said, snapping you out of your daze.

“Eh? Sorry, I was just…thinking,” You replied.

“It looked a little more than just thinking. Are you okay?” He asked worriedly.

“Y-Yeah, just got a little lost in thought,” You gave him a smile to reassure him.

“Okay. Rina said to meet her and the others at Shooting Star Karaoke Bar tomorrow at 6,” He told you.

“Okay, 6 sounds good. Do you think I can bring Fumi and Yoh, I think its something they’d enjoy,” You asked him.

“I’m sure Rina-Chan wouldn’t mind, I’ll text her,” Ayato replied.

You nodded and watched as he texted your friend about bring you sibling and her friend along. Rina wasted no time in replying, her answer was yes to your question, she knew your sister and she really liked her. She was also a firm believer of the expression, the more the merrier. After, you and Ayato stayed up a little while longer before heading off to bed, you were staying in a spare bedroom since sleeping together felt a little awkward now. Well, sleeping in the same bed was awkward since now it’d only be as friends and not a couple. As you fell asleep, you couldn’t help but let your mind wonder off back to Gorou. It’d been a while since you thought about any guy besides Ayato, you weren’t really sure how to take it. You weren't sure if you liked him, did you even know him enough to able to like him? For all you know he could be some sort of lady killer, you knew that was wrong though. He didn't carry himself like a womanizer, or at least not from what you've seen, his intentions seemed good and not hurtful.

You weren't even sure if you should let yourself get caught up in all of this, just because he was kind to you doesn't mean he likes you. And just because he walked you home did that mean he was trying to pursue something. Yet, something in you hoped, hoped that you would see him again and something would happen. You sighed and tried clearing those thoughts, you weren't going to sleep any time soon if you kept thinking about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, Gorou deserves love. Also, for some reason TCLP makes me cry, a mix of good and sad so...there’s that.


	3. III

Fumi was quick to agree to karaoke with you and your friends, she wanted to spend as much time with you as possible. And it didn’t take much to get Yoh to come along, she also wanted to spend time with you. You were like an older sister to her too, she looked up to you just as much as Fumi did. And you were glad they both decided to come along since you also wanted to spend as much time as you could with them. 

You and Ayato were on your way to pick up Fumi before swinging by Yoh’s home. Ayato was looking forward to seeing Fumi again, he was like a little sister to her. He loved her just as much as he loved you, and even though you weren’t together anymore, that hadn’t changed. She’d always be a little sister to him, just like you’d always be his best friend. You were grateful for that, especially since Fumi loved Ayato just as much. You wanted her to always have someone else to rely on whenever you couldn't be there to help her.

The two of you stood outside of Kibikino-Sensei’s home now, and you wasted no time in ringing the doorbell. You waited patiently for the door to open and once it, Fumi stood on the other side, looking cute as ever. You smiled warmly and gave her a friendly wave hello. 

“Fumi-Chan, it’s so good to see you!” Ayato exclaimed. “Here, this is for you.” 

He held out a bag in front of him, containing baked goods the two of you stopped to get on the way. “Thank you, Ayato-San.” Fumi said, showing her gratitude and taking the bag from him. 

“Fumi, how many times have I said, call me Ayato-Nii,” He whined, pouting his lips. 

“Ah, s-sorry, Ayato-Nii,” She replied, instantly cheering him up. “Come in, I’ll put these away and then we’ll get going.” 

You nodded and entered her house, standing by the doorway while she ran to the kitchen. She came back shortly after, Kibikino trailing along behind her. She pulled out a jacket and put her shoes on before turning to look at Sensei. 

“I’ll be going now, Sensei. Please call if you need anything,” She said. 

He sighed lightly but showed her a tiny smile. “I’ll be fine on my own, kid. Go have fun with your sister.” 

She smiled widely and nodded before turning back to you and Ayato, the three of you making your way out again. Before the door closed behind you, you turned around and waved goodbye at Kibikino. He gave you a simple nod of the head before closing the door. And then the three of you headed towards Yoh’s house to pick her up. 

“Yoh-Chan, you look so cute,” You said first thing when you saw her. 

“You look cuter!” She replied, jumping into a hug. 

You hugged her tightly for a few seconds before letting go, she turned to look at Ayato and gave him a wave hello. Once she was ready, the four of you headed to the karaoke bar, you and Ayato leading the way. You were having a pleasant conversation with Ayato, mainly about how karaoke would go. If you two would sing together, which song you’d sing if you did. You talked about how your friends would act, more so with alcohol in their system. You were all old enough to drink but you chose not to since you didn’t really like the taste. 

Yoh and Fumi watched how close the two of you were, both happy that your relationship was still strong as ever. You were so carefree around Ayato, your smile always came natural around him. You weren't your usual shy and reserved self like you were with most people. Fumi was glad that you had someone like that, especially after everything you’d endured. After your mom died, you took on the responsibility of taking care of both her and your dad. You did most of the housework—the cooking, cleaning—and you took care of her while making sure you did well in school too. She helped of course but you barely let her do much, instead you made sure she had a good childhood. 

You almost didn’t go to your university because you wanted to stay close by but she made you go. It wasn’t until then did she really start taking more responsibility. She wanted to prove to you that she could take care of things while you were gone. And she didn’t want you to miss opportunities because of her and your dad. Although you reassured her that it was nothing like that, she was your little sister and you liked taking care of her. Still, she wanted you to have a life too, especially now that you’re with Ayato. 

Lost in thought, she didn’t realize the four of you had arrived, your friends waiting by the door. You were the last to arrive since you had to pick up your sister and Yoh. But it’s not like any of them minded, it was only a few minutes past six, they still had plenty of time to party. Fumi knew a few of your friends there since they had gone to high school with you. Some were friends that she hadn’t met yet since they were friends you met at your university. 

“Alright, we’re all here. Let’s go sing and drink!” Rina exclaimed excitedly. 

You laughed lightly, hiding it behind your hand as you followed the group inside. You all chipped in for the room, you went to pay for you, Fumi and Yoh but Ayato paid for all four of you. 

“Ayato, you don’t have to do that,” You said, handing him some money to pay him back. 

“No, but I wanted to. Besides what kind of boyfriend would I be If I made my girlfriend pay,” He replied, keeping the act up and rejecting the money you were trying to give. And no matter how much you tried, he wouldn't accept it, making you sigh heavily. 

“Ah, you’re so lucky {Name}. I wish I had a boyfriend like that,” Your friend Nana whined. 

“You’ll never get a boyfriend if you keep acting like such a tomboy, ya know,” Ryo replied, resting his arm on the shorter girl’s head. 

“What’s wrong with being a tomboy? And I can be girly if I want to,” She scoffed, shoving his arm off her. 

“Yeah, I don’t see it,” He teased. 

“Come on you two, we’re being left behind,” You said, pushing the two to catch up to the group.

As they walked ahead, you felt Ayato grab your hand to keep up appearances, but neither of you really felt anything from it. In the beginning of your relationship, you'd always turn red whenever he suddenly held your hand. It was warm and big against yours, and you always felt safe when he held your hand. But now it was just a hand holding yours, there were no feelings behind it. Although you still turned a little red that he held your hand so suddenly.

You were in a large room for your large group, a long table in the middle with chairs instead of cushioned seats for easy mobility. And there was enough room in the front for singing and dancing and all that. You sat towards the end with Ayato, Fumi and Yoh, since you mostly wanted to watch than sing. Your friends instantly dived into buying drinks and food, most of them started out with water or something non-alcoholic but it was only a matter of time. You got water, as did Fumi and Yoh while Ayato went with something carbonated. 

Then you all agreed on what to eat before placing your orders in and soon after, your friends jumped right into singing. You were all having a great time, per everyone’s request, you and Ayato sang a song together. There was no getting out of that one but you had fun nonetheless. You and Fumi sang one together, everyone thought it was cute how you doted on your little sister. You also sang with Yoh and then watched her sing a song with Fumi. Everything truly was going great, and you were having lots of fun with your friends and sister. 

You got up from your seat, needing to use the restroom, startling both your sister and Ayato. “Nee-San, where are you going?” Fumi asked. 

“Ah, I just need to use the bathroom,” You told her. 

“Okay, want me to come with?” She asked. 

“I’m okay, stay and eat some more, you’re too skinny,” You said, lightly pinching her cheek in an affectionate way. 

She nodded firmly, making you smile at how adorable she is. You patted her head before slipping away to head to the bathroom, the outside completely silent once you closed the door. You quickly headed to the bathroom, finding the silent halls to be eerie. 

You stood in front of the sink, carefully washing your hands after finishing. You dried your hands before looking in the mirror and fixing any stray hairs and such. You weren’t one to go overboard in your appearance but you did like looking nice, simple and elegant. You finished up and left the bathroom, on your way back, you accidentally bumped into someone. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” You said, looking up to meet the stranger you bumped into. 

Right in front of you stood Gorou, giving you a kind smile. “{Name}-Chan, what are you doing here?” 

“I’m here with my friends, we all decided to go karaoke. Fumi’s here too,” You told him. 

“Fumi-Chan’s here too? That’s cute, you two are so close,” He said. 

“Oh, thank you. What are you doing here Kaneishi-San?” You asked. 

“Call me Gorou. And I was roped into a company party,” He explained, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Oh, okay. Gorou-San. I-Is it that bad?” You asked him. 

“Well no, but they’re all pretty drunk now, so it gets a little more intense.” 

“I know what you mean, now that we can drink, some of my friends go all out. Some of them are a little tipsy right now but nothing too bad.” 

Silence fell between the two of you and you felt a little awkward just standing there in the hallway. You were starting become aware of every little thing as you stood under his watchful eye. Did you check yourself over enough? Did you have any stray hairs? Maybe you should have fixed your hair altogether and redo your bun. Your heart rate was starting to pick up and your cheeks felt a little hot and you couldn’t bring yourself to look up from your feet. 

“W-Well I should be heading back, I w-wouldn’t want to keep you,” You said, finding the nerve to break the silence. 

“Wait, I’m not really ready to go back in there. Would you mind keeping me company?” He asked. 

Your eyes widened in surprise at his sudden request, you never expected him to ask something like this. Gorou seemed to realized what he asked of you, he just blurted it out without thinking. But he meant it, he did want your company.

“Sorry, you’re with your friends and sister. That was inappropriate to ask,” He said.

“No, not at all. I want to,” You replied quickly.

He perked up at your words and his smile widened. “Really? Okay, let’s get some fresh air.”

He grabbed your hand and started leading you out the karaoke place, the warmth of his hand seeping through. You were thankful that his back was facing you so he could see your red cheeks. The only boy you’ve held hands with is Ayato, so this was a new sensation, a good one. His hand was bigger than yours and different from Ayato’s, it wrapped snuggly around yours. You liked it, it was warm and protecting, holding you tightly so you wouldn’t slip away. You let him drag you outside, looking forward to whatever the two of you might talk about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Gorou so freaking much, thanks. Yes, I have second lead syndrome...


	4. IV

The chilly air nipped at your skin once you stepped outside, cooling your reddened cheeks. Gorou continued to drag you along until the two of you arrived at a nearby bench. He sat down and then gestured for you to do the same; you did so, leaving a noticeable amount of space between the two of you. You kept your head down, looking at your lap and nervously playing with your hands. It's been a while since you were alone with a boy that wasn’t Ayato. And this felt different than when you were alone with him, it felt more nerve wracking for some reason.

Gorou noticed the distance between you and moved closer, closing the gap between the two of you. You didn’t notice that he had gotten closer, still too nervous to look anywhere else but your lap. But you did notice how it was a little warmer, the heat of his body radiating onto you. It made you want to lean into it and take it all in.

“You look pretty,” He spoke up.

You looked over at him, eyes widening, not expecting the sudden compliment. You felt your cheeks get hot once again, especially since he had such a serious look on his face. You also noticed that he was a lot closer than you had expected him to be. You looked away and back down to your lap, trying to find the will to speak.

“Th-Thank you. This is how I dress every day, it’s nothing special,” You said.

“You probably look pretty every day then,” He stated so nonchalant.

You felt your ears get hot as your blush spread throughout your face, hoping that Gorou didn’t notice. He did, he saw how your cheeks reddened at his compliment and he couldn’t help but think how cute it was. He smiled gently as he saw you try to compose yourself and calm down.

“You look nice too, Gorou-San,” You told him.

“Nah, not really, I just threw this on,” He replied.

“Oh...well you still look nice,” You shyly said.

“Thanks,” He looked over at you and gave you a wide smile that seemed to make your heart thump against your chest.

Silence overcame the two of you but it was a good silence, letting the two of you enjoy each other’s presence. It was dark out but the area was illuminated by bright neon signs and twinkling lights in the trees. The cold air was getting thicker now, easily passing through you and sending shivers down your spine. The two of you had rushed out here without thinking about how cold it might be, or at least you didn’t. And it didn’t help that you were only wearing a light sweater.

You crossed your arms and rubbed them in hopes of generating heat to warm you up. Gorou noticed you shivering lightly and how you were trying to warm up. “{Name}-Chan, are you cold? We can go back inside if you want?” He asked.

“I’m okay, it’s cold but not unbearable. I’d like to stay here a little longer, if we could,” You told him.

“Sure,” He said, offering you a gentle smile.

You felt him scoot closer to you, warmth radiating off his body and you subconsciously leaned into it. He wrapped his arm around, offering more of his warmth. This felt nice, peaceful, sitting out here with him felt so right and natural.

Your peaceful moment was ruined by the loud dinging of the phone you had forgotten was in your pocket. The two of you broke apart and you reached into your pocket for your phone. It was a message from your sister, freaking out about how you were taking too long. Which in turn made you freak out because you’d completely forgotten that there were people waiting for you inside.

“I-I should head back inside before Fumi gets even more worried,” You said.

“Yeah, sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you away from her and your friends,” He replied, looking a bit sheepish.

“It’s okay, I wanted to come out with you,” You quickly stated, not wanting him to feel bad.

“{Name}-Chan, can I see your phone?” He asked, a large smile on his phone.

“Su-Sure,” You replied, handing him your phone.

He grabbed your phone and started messing around with it while you watched and waited. He gave you your phone back, the same wide smile still on his face. You looked down and saw that he added himself into your contacts. You looked at him in confusion, wondering why he would do something like that.

“Let’s text each other, okay?” He said, a cheerful tone in his voice.

You felt your blush rise again and all you could do was meekly nod at what he was asking of you. “Okay. Should I give you my number too?”

He nodded and handed you his phone, watching as you put your information in. Afterwards, the two of you headed back inside after that, going your separate ways. Gorou stood back and watched you enter the karaoke room you were occupying, a gentle smile playing at his lips. He was still really glad that you had agreed to go outside and just sit with him for a little bit. Once you disappeared out of his line of sight, he headed back into his own room, quickly getting jumped by his coworkers for being gone so long. They were all even more drunk than before he had left, so he had to deal with that.

Your own friends were way tipsier now so they didn’t really pay much attention to you. You easily slipped back into your seat, instantly getting attacked by Fumi. She immediately started asking you questions about what took so long and whatnot.

“I’m sorry, Fumi, I just got a little bit of fresh air,” You told her, trying to calm her down.

“I thought something bad happened to you, Nee-San,” She replied, face full of worry.

You laughed a little at the cute face she was making and pinched her cheek lightly. You reassured her you were completely fine and calmed her down enough to carry on with the fun of your karaoke party. An hour or so passed by before the party came to an end and everyone got ready to leave. You made sure your friends were sober enough to get home fine and they reassured you they were.

You said your goodbyes before you and Ayato left, walking Fumi and Yoh home safely. When you got to Akatsuki’s home, Ayato stayed back a bit as you walked Fumi to the door. She had a wide smile on her face, having very much enjoyed herself.

“Thank you so much for inviting me Nee-San, Yoh and I had a lot of fun,” Fumi told you.

“Of course, Fumi, I’m glad you came today,” You replied, giving her a warm gentle smile.

She matched your smile and wrapped her arms around you in a tight hug. Your smile grew and you wrapped your own arms around her, squeezing her tightly. After letting go, you said goodnight and watched her slip inside before walking back to where Ayato stood.

“So did Fumi-Chan enjoy herself?” He asked as the two of you began to walk home.

“Yeah, she did, I’m really glad she came,” You replied, smiling widely.

“Me too, it was nice seeing her again... Do you think she’ll hate me when she finds out?” He questioned, looking a little guilty.

“Hate you? Why would she hate you?” You asked, surprised that he was bringing something like that up.

“I don’t know, I just feel a little guilty for not telling her. I don’t want her to be sad when she does find out,” He explained.

You looked down at your feet, biting your lip at the point he was making. You were feeling guilty about it too, but she looked up to your relationship, you just didn’t want to ruin that for her. “I know what you mean, I’m just...I don’t know...scared.”  
“Scared?” He questioned, telling you to elaborate.

“Yeah, I feel like we’ll be letting her and everyone down. They were all rooting for us to get together, and now, well we’re not,” You told him.

He reached over and grabbed your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, followed by a gentle smile. “We won’t be letting anyone down, if they truly cared about us and our happiness, they’ll understand. So, don’t worry about it too much.”

“You’re right, if they care, they’ll understand,” You said, feeling a little bit lighter now that you were able to express those concerns.

You continued to hold hands as you walked home, once again comparing his hand hold with Gorou’s. They really were different, it really felt like you two were just friends who casually held hands. With Gorou’s, you liked the way it felt, his hand was warm and gentle, it made you feel protected in a weird way. Speaking of Gorou, you wanted to text him but felt a little awkward of what you’d even say. You fumbled with your phone inside your pocket, thinking of simple to say. Or maybe you shouldn’t even text him at all and wait to see if he’d text first.

You heard a light ding come for your phone, causing you to hurriedly pull it out of your pocket. Gorou’s name popped up on your screen, butterflies swirling around in your stomach from just the sight of his name. Funny how you were just thinking about him and then he texted you…maybe he was thinking of you too? The thought left a warm feeling inside you and part of you hoped that was the case.

You opened the message, reading what it said; 'thanks for coming outside with me, I had fun.' You couldn’t help but smile at his message, you had fun too, even if you two mostly just sat in silence. Ayato noticed your sudden interest in your phone and took a peek at what you were doing. You were texting someone, a boy by the looks of it.

“Who’s Gorou?” He asked, frightening you just a bit.

Suddenly you felt awkward and unsure of how to address Gorou to your ex-boyfriend. “He’s a friend I ran into at the karaoke place.”

“Just a friend?” He questioned, a mild teasing tone in his voice.

“Y-Yeah! He knows Fumi because he’s friends with her boyfriend so I met him through her,” You explained, feeling even more awkward.

“I’m joking {Name},” He said, laughing lightly. “So, tell me about this Gorou guy.”

“Oh, well, I don’t really know him that well but he’s really nice and kind. He walked me home yesterday to make sure I got home safe. He’s Kibikino-Sensei’s editor so he was over discussing some things with him. They finished up around the same time Fumi and I got back and he offered to walk me home. I thought that was really sweet… And then we bumped into each other today and we went outside and talked for a little bit,” You told him.

Ayato smiled gently and noticed the way you talked about this Gorou guy, how it seemed like you were developing feelings. He wasn’t jealous or anything, in fact, he thought it was cute to see you this way. He was glad that you might potentially be falling in love with someone else. Truth be told, Ayato might be falling in love too, he just didn’t know how to address these feelings. But now, he felt like he could without having to worry about hurting you in any way.

“Do you like him?” He asked.

“I-I don’t know, I mean he’s nice and I want to get to know him better,” You said, feeling yourself blush a bit at how forward Ayato was being with his questions.

Ayato laughed again, finding your shyness about the subject to be cute. You changed the subject quickly after that and talked about other things the rest of the way home. But you were a little distracted, thinking about what Ayato asked; do you like Gorou?  
It didn’t take long before you were home, getting ready for bed soon after and slipping into bed. You grabbed your phone and opened your messages, once again reading Gorou’s message before replying. 'I had fun too, Gorou-San!' A few moments after you sent it, your phone dinged and you were quick to open the message. 'Can we do it again, sometime? Maybe coffee?'

You felt your heart hammering inside your chest from his message, suddenly feeling both nervous and excited. Would it be okay for you to meet up with him again? I would like that, Gorou-San.  
Once again, it didn’t take long for him to reply back; 'How about this Friday? Around noon?'

'I’d like that, yes!' You replied, unable to help the wide smile on your face. You texted for a little while longer, just about where you’d meet and such before saying good night. There was a pleasant feeling in your chest that night, making it difficult to sleep because all you could think about was Gorou and this... was it a date? Could you call it a date? No, it's not a date, it's just two friends getting coffee together. Yeah, that’s it, just two friends getting coffee and getting to know each other better. You shook your head to clear your thoughts and turned on your side to try and get some sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I’m back... after 3 months without an update yeet... Anyway, am I doing this story justice? I hope I am, I really like this story. Um, should this just be a fluffy romance story or should I add a little bit of drama? You guys tell me, what would you like to see?

**Author's Note:**

> Gorou Kaneishi deserves love and you know it... Thanks for coming to my TedTalk.


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